Dec. 26, 2023

The University mourns the loss of Norman Coates, professor emeritus of management, who died Dec. 17 at the age of 92.

Born March 25, 1931, in Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine, where his father worked for the British government, Norman received his early education in boarding school in Dublin, Ireland. He attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wimborne, England. He was athletic and a top student.

After his family moved to Canada, he attended Sir George Williams University in Montreal while working at the Canadian National Railways. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees from Cornell University and was known for his acumen in industrial relations and international business. 

His first teaching assignment was at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, and through the Ford Foundation, he was visiting professor and senior consultant to governments in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In 1970, he served as senior advisor of the Clerk of the Privy Council, Government of Canada, leading a key study of government organization.

In 1971, his love of the ocean brought him to URI as professor and chair in the Department of Organizational Management and Industrial Relations in the College of Business, retiring in 1996. He was also a visiting professor in Japan, where he extended his studies of U.S.-Japan trade relations. He touched the lives of thousands of students, who appreciated his candor and rigor.

A private celebration is planned. To read the full obituary, click here.